P.O. Box 1749 Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3A5 Canada Item No. 12.1.1 Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee May 20, 2021 TO: Chair and Members of Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee -Original Signed- SUBMITTED BY: Kelly Denty, Executive Director, Planning & Development -Original Signed- Jacques Dubé, Chief Administrative Officer DATE: March 22, 2021 SUBJECT: Noise Management and Mitigation in Downtown Areas – Argyle Street Entertainment District ORIGIN October 20, 2015 Regional Council motion, amended on January 12, 2021 as follows: “That Halifax Regional Council request a staff report regarding noise in downtown areas that shall include: a) Research on other municipalities approaches, including a jurisdictional scan and discussion with stakeholders such as the business commissions, Argyle Entertainment District, and the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia and others; b) recommendations regarding the possible establishment of an entertainment district on Argyle Street for inclusion in the Prescribed Exemptions or Local Exemptions section of the Noise By- Law (N200).” LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, R.S.N.S. 2008, c. 39, clause 188(1)(d) allows Council to make a by- law respecting: (d) nuisances, activities and things that, in the opinion of the Council, may be or may cause nuisances, including noise, weeds, burning, odours, fumes and vibrations and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, by-laws (i) prescribing a distance beyond which noise must not be audible, RECOMMENDATION ON PAGE 2 Noise Management and Mitigation in Downtown Areas Standing Committee Report - 2 - May 20, 2021 (ii) distinguishing between one type of noise and another, (iii) providing that any noise or sound greater than a specific decibel level or other measurement of noise or sound is prohibited, (iv) prescribing the hours during which certain noises, or all noise above a certain level, specified in the bylaw is prohibited, (v) authorizing the granting of exemptions in such cases as the by-law provides, (vi) providing that it is an offence to engage in any activity that unreasonably disturbs or tends to disturb the peace and tranquillity of a neighbourhood; RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Community Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee recommend that Halifax Regional Council approve By-law N-206, amending By-law N-200, Respecting Noise, as set out in Attachment B of this report. BACKGROUND Entertainment districts are areas with high concentrations of entertainment venues and spaces, including cultural organizations, restaurants, drinking establishments and public and private event spaces. These uses can help attract and retain diverse and younger demographics to the municipality and provide places for residents and visitors to engage in social activities. These uses, however, can also interfere with the peaceful enjoyment of residential properties. The following sections describe existing municipal noise regulations concerning entertainment noise, the results of a jurisdictional scan of other municipalities, and the type and number of entertainment related noise complaints. For clarity, this report does not discuss noise related to construction and does not propose any changes to the Noise By-law that would impact the construction industry, road construction, the operation of other businesses or general noise. A separate report regarding construction noise will be presented to Regional Council at a later date. By-law N-200 Respecting Noise The Municipality regulates noise through the Noise By-law (By-law N-200 Respecting Noise). The By-law regulates general noise in public spaces, including noise associated with entertainment uses such as music emanating from speakers. The By-law permits noise generating activities during the following days and times: • 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Friday; • 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and • 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday and holidays The permitted hours align broadly with the general operation of other businesses and construction activities but are shorter on weekends and holidays when entertainment activity in downtown areas is typically higher. The Noise By-law provides for some exemptions for religious celebrations on identified days, sports events, annual municipal festivals or municipal activities in municipal parks, municipal arenas or municipal community centres, which are permitted to make noise until one o’clock in the a.m. Council can grant additional noise exemptions to any person based on the social or commercial benefit of the proposed activity to the municipality, the views of residents, the proposed hours of operation and the proposed duration of the activity. Staff can also approve exemptions for recurring events, and for applications previously approved by Council. These exemptions, however, do not provide for ongoing longer hours where entertainment-related noise can occur. The By-law also does not directly define noise limits related to entertainment uses, nor does it establish an entertainment district or grant any regular exemptions for entertainment related noise. Noise Management and Mitigation in Downtown Areas Standing Committee Report - 3 - May 20, 2021 It is important to note that the Nova Scotia Liquor Licensing Regulations regulate all aspects of licensed establishments, including hours during which liquor can be served which range from 2 am to 3:30 am depending on the type of license. The Noise By-law only affects noise taking place in the public right-of- way. Noise originating from within licensed establishments is subject to provincial liquor licensing regulations over which the Municipality has no jurisdiction. They are permitted to create noise so long as it is reasonably contained within the structure itself during any time their license enables operation. Noise mitigation within buildings is regulated by the Nova Scotia Building Code. Jurisdictional Review Attachment C summarizes a jurisdictional review of noise regulations related to entertainment and entertainment districts in eight Canadian municipalities, and four international cities. The following summarizes the key findings of this review: • Noise Types: Many municipalities regulate noise associated with entertainment differently from construction noise. Construction noise is not typically measured since construction is expected to produce significant amounts of noise and is usually restricted to certain times of the day. Entertainment noise is most commonly associated with night time and can conflict with people sleeping or otherwise enjoying their residence peacefully. Entertainment noise is most often regulated by measuring noise levels. Municipalities sometimes further distinguish entertainment related noise between “amplified sound” (ex: speakers) and “unreasonable noise” or “continuous noise” (ex: shouting, loud conversation). Some municipalities also measure noise associated with certain mechanical devices such as vehicle engines, air conditioning units, and generators. • Quantitative measures: Seven of the twelve municipalities set general permitted noise levels based on specific decibels and test noise levels at prescribed distances from noise sources either in public space (i.e.: on the street) or within entertainment districts. Austin, Texas also measures sound levels both inside and outside its entertainment district. Permitted noise levels are lower near residential areas. Certain jurisdictions also limit the daytime hours to earlier times near residential areas. • Amplified Noise: Six of the twelve municipalities establish specific decibel levels for which noise is generally permitted specifically in conjunction with amplified sound (i.e.: speakers, public address systems, etc.). • Continuous Noise: Of the municipalities that measure noise levels, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary measure “continuous noise” (ex: shouting) while Toronto, St. John’s, Austin and Montreal do not. • Enforcement: Complaints typically trigger a noise test to determine if the permitted level of noise is being adhered to. Regular monitoring of noise levels in certain areas, such as areas with concentrations of drinking establishments, is also common. In some cities, charges can still be laid even if the noise does not exceed the noise limit set by the by-law. In general, approaches to enforcement vary from place to place. • Entertainment Districts: Four of the twelve municipalities have formalized districts intended for hosting events that are expected to generate significant amounts of noise and for which certain local exemptions or special noise regulations are applied. Entertainment districts and downtown areas tend to have higher permitted noise limits compared to residential areas. All the cities with formalized entertainment districts conduct noise testing within them to enforce noise standards. • Daytime Hours: Daytime means the time of day when noise is permitted. Daytime noise hours typically end at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., when permitted decibel levels are lowered or noise is prohibited outright. In Vancouver and St. John’s, noise is permitted until 11 p.m. within their respective entertainment districts, but 10 p.m. in all other Canadian cities reviewed. Austin permits noise in the entertainment district until 2:00 a.m., while Sydney, Australia allows it until 12 a.m. but noise from licensed establishments must not exceed background levels and cannot be audible within residences. • Common Issues: Noise from outdoor